To the Woman that I Love
by LovelyLene
Summary: Hank is trying to pick up his life again, with a little help from Elena. However, there still is a man out there who doesn’t want to see Hank happy… Sequel to Past Fears and Child of Mine. CHAPTER 11 and FINAL CHAPTER UP!
1. Chapter 1

English is not my native language and I'm still looking for a beta reader, so if there are spelling or grammar mistakes… I'm sorry! But you can still apply for the job as my beta reader!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, I do not own the characters of "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman"… One Beth Sullivan does… But I do own the characters Jonas "John" Kerrigan and Elena!

**Rating:** I don't know anything about these ratings, but let's say T or PG-13. Just to be safe...

**Warnings:** I know that in the official Dr. Quinn timeline Hank's Nana is introduced in Season 4, so after Dr. Mike's and Sully's wedding. However, in my story they aren't married yet, but they already do know Ilse. So, in my timeline the events concerning Hank and his Nana in the episode "Woman of the Year" have already happened. So this story is slightly AU… I hope it doesn't bother you…

This story is the sequel to "Past Fears" and "Child of Mine". If you haven't read those stories I suggest you do that first. Otherwise this story won't make a lot of sense… I think…

**Summary: **Hank is trying to pick up his life again, with a little help from Elena. However, there still is a man out there who doesn't want to see Hank happy…

**Chapter 1**

Elena sat at her desk in her room and looked outside. It was late in the afternoon and she knew that in a few hours the saloon would be crowded with people. That also meant that all the peace and quiet she was experiencing now would be over. The sun was shining brightly and as spring was approaching the temperature outside was quite pleasant as well. Elena watched as some children played across the saloon. She smiled at them. She thought about the children at the Denver Art School, the place where she used to work. She hadn't been there for almost three months now. The last time was when Zack died. She closed her eyes at the thought and sighed deeply. Then she looked at the tiny little book in front of her; her diary. She didn't write in it very often, but sometimes, writing in it made her feel better, especially when she was feeling sad or angry. Like today…

_Dear diary,_

_It's been a while since I've written something. Well, I've been too busy to write… It's been almost three months now, since Zack's death. It sounds so long ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday… I'll never forget his still form, the blood… not to mention the incredible sad and desperate look in his father's eyes as he found him. I never knew my heart could truly break until I saw that look… On that very moment was also the first time that I realized that I loved Hank. I couldn't leave him alone… I couldn't let him deal with this on his own… so I decided to help… I believe I've already told you that in the previous entry…_

_Anyway, it hasn't been easy. Especially in the beginning… One moment he seemed to be alright… the next he was moody, angry… sometimes out of control! He scared me sometimes… yelling at me… I even thought of leaving at one point. But again… I couldn't… I couldn't bare the thought of leaving him alone… I couldn't bare the thought of me being without him either… I know we don't know each other that long yet… we don't even know that much ABOUT each other! But whenever I'm around him it's like I've known him for years! And I know he feels the same… What do I know about Hank? Nothing really… except that he's from Colorado Springs and that he found his son slaughtered in the woods… and that he's gorgeous! Oh God, I feel like a teenage girl again…_

_What does he know about me? Probably even less… We just haven't had the time yet! The grieving… me helping him to get his life back in order… We just haven't had the time yet to really get to know each other. I hope that that time still comes… And I hope he'll still like me then… I know he likes me. I even think that he LOVES me! He said he doesn't know anything about love… he doesn't know that whatever he's feeling for me is love… or just affection… _

_He's doing better now, although… he still has his moments… Then he yells at me. It's like I'm the only one he wants to yell at… REALLY yell at… Cursing me, sometimes blaming me… Although it hurts me, I know that he doesn't mean it. That's how it always ends… He falls down on his knees… lowering his head… sobbing… It's like I'm the only person he can cry with as well. He sobs and apologizes to me… saying that he didn't mean what he said… Asking for my forgiveness… The only thing I can do is wrap my arms around him and cry with him… and I forgive him… _

_But we have good times as well! I love his sense of humour… And I love to tease him! And he loves to be teased… It's amazing how many feelings we share with each other, even though we hardly know each other… I don't even know what age he is… I don't even think he knows my last name… But somehow it doesn't seem important right now… Could this be true love? Yesterday night he yelled at me again… called me some names I don't care to repeat… Afterwards he asked me: "Why do you put up with me? Why do you even bother to help me?" I had asked myself the same questions over and over in the last few months, and I just kept coming up with one answer: "Because I love you…"_

_Love,_

_Elena_

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The next day Elena was in a very bad mood. Hank had left early in the morning to do some business in a nearby town, which left her to clean up the mess in the saloon! And it was a big mess… The place had been crowded the night before, which had been good for business. However, the more men drink the more annoying they become… especially to women AND each other. Before Hank and Elena had realized it, a few guys had started a fight, which turned the place upside down. Hank had raised his voice a few times, but it had been of no avail. He had thought of breaking up the fight with his bare hands, but there were so many men involved that he had decided to stay out of it. He had sent the girls up to their rooms and had asked bystanders to leave as quiet as possible. Fortunately for Hank and Elena the men had suddenly decided to take the fight outside, however, the damage had already been done. "We'll clean it up tomorrow," Hank had said. Elena had agreed, not knowing then that she would have to do it on her own.

She looked at the enormous mess in the saloon and wondered how she was going to clean this place up before tonight. Because tonight the saloon should be open again for customers. "Men!" she muttered under her breath as she grabbed a broom. There was broken glass everywhere on the floor, so she decided to clean that up first. Her mood didn't improve as she cut her hand on a shard of glass. "Damn it!" she yelled and immediately dropped everything she had in her hands. She sighed before searching for a towel or some cloth she could wrap her hand in.

Behind her Elena heard the doors of the saloon swing open. "We're closed!" she said without turning around to see who it was. "Miss?" she heard someone saying. Elena turned around and saw an old lady standing in the doorway. "Can I help you?" Elena asked her gently. The old lady smiled at her. "Yes," she answered, "I'm looking for my grandson." Elena looked at her questioningly. "I think you should ask somewhere else," she said to the old lady, "There are only ladies living here…" The old lady shook her head. "No, Hans lives here… at least he was the last time I was here…" the old lady said to Elena. "Hans?" Elena answered and gave her a confused look. _Who on earth is Hans? _Elena thought. She had no idea what the old woman was talking about. _She must be demented or something… There's no Hans living here… only a Hank and he… Oh no…_ "You're not talking about Hank, are you?" she asked a little incredulously. But to her surprise the woman happily nodded. "Yes! Hans!" she answered with a big smile on her face. "I'm his grandmother…"

TBC

Okay, it took a while, but here it is! The first chapter of the final story of this trilogy. It's a bit short maybe, but I'll make it up to you in the next chapters! I think… I hope… Anyway, let me know what you think! R & R please!


	2. Chapter 2

English is not my native language and I'm still looking for a beta reader, so if there are spelling or grammar mistakes… I'm sorry! But you can still apply for the job as my beta reader!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, I do not own the characters of "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman"… One Beth Sullivan does… But I do own the characters Jonas "John" Kerrigan and Elena!

**Rating:** I don't know anything about these ratings, but let's say T or PG-13. Just to be safe...

**Warnings:** I know that in the official Dr. Quinn timeline Hank's Nana is introduced in Season 4, so after Dr. Mike's and Sully's wedding. However, in my story they aren't married yet, but they already do know Ilse. So, in my timeline the events concerning Hank and his Nana in the episode "Woman of the Year" have already happened. So this story is slightly AU… I hope it doesn't bother you…

This story is the sequel to "Past Fears" and "Child of Mine". If you haven't read those stories I suggest you do that first. Otherwise this story won't make a lot of sense… I think…

**Summary: **Hank is trying to pick up his life again, with a little help from Elena. However, there still is a man out there who doesn't want to see Hank happy…

Thank you to those who read and reviewed! You guys make it worthwhile for me to continue writing! On to the next chapter!

**Chapter 2**

"Hank's grandmother?" Elena looked in disbelief at the old woman in front of her. _Hank never said anything about a grandmother! But then again… we never got to talk about these kinds of things…_ Elena sighed as many different thoughts ran through her mind. She looked at the woman carefully. She didn't really look like Hank. She was small and thin, unlike Hank who was pretty tall. Her hair was grey, almost white and her eyes were blue. _Unlike Ha… No wait a minute… Hank's eyes are blue as well… Okay, so they do have something in common! _ Again Elena looked at the old woman carefully. _She actually looks kind of cute… _Elena thought, _like a real grandma!_

Then it occurred to Elena that the old lady must be real tired from her trip to Colorado Springs. "I'm sorry," Elena started, "Would you like to sit down? You must be tired, Mrs…" The woman laughed at Elena. "Oh dear girl," she said, "I'm Ilse Lawsenstrum, but you can call me Ilse! And you are?" Elena had to smile at the woman. Ilse reminded her of her own grandmother; however, she had passed away years ago. "I'm Elena Alvarez," Elena extended her hand to Ilse who shook it gently. "So, you are Elena? Hans told me so much about you!" Ilse said to the young woman. Elena was surprised by the remark. "Really?" she asked shyly, "I had no idea…" She led Ilse to a table in the back of the saloon and offered her a chair. Ilse nodded her thanks and sat down. Elena sat down on a chair across.

"He wrote me about you," Ilse said. Elena smiled at that. She knew Hank couldn't write or read that well, but she doubted whether his grandmother knew that. Mostly he had one of his girls write things down for him, and so Elena figured he must have asked one of the girls to help him write a letter to his grandma. "He did?" Elena asked, her voice soft. "Oh, of course he did!" Ilse exclaimed, "He adores you, dear! He told me how you helped him out after Zack's death and all…" Both women were quiet for a moment. "Oh, that poor boy," Ilse said softly, "No man has the right to take an innocent life like that." Elena shook her head in agreement. "I've never met Zack," the old lady continued, "But he must have been a wonderful boy! Hans said he could draw pretty good…" Elena smiled and said: "Yes he was a fantastic and talented young boy… Have you seen some of his drawings?" Ilse shook her head. "Unfortunately not…" Elena jumped up. "There are some drawings upstairs in Hank's room! I could get them for you… I'm sure Hank wouldn't mind…" _Would he?_ The enthusiastic smile that appeared on Ilse's face was enough for Elena to run up the stairs to Hank's room where she grabbed the drawings she was after. She was back in no time.

Together the two women looked at the beautiful drawings. Sometimes Elena had to explain who a certain person was, or what the meaning was of a drawing. Some drawings even brought some tears to both women's eyes. Even though she wasn't aware of it yet, the arrival of Hank's grandma came as a revelation to Elena. For the first time in a very long time she felt at peace. It was a relief to her that she could finally talk about Zack without anyone getting mad at her… without Hank getting mad at her… Finally she could look at the beautiful pictures Zack had once drawn, without someone grabbing them out of her hands because she wasn't allowed to look at them… She felt stress leaving her body and before she knew it, tears were streaming down her face. Ilse grabbed her hand and smiled at her.

"I'm sorry," Elena said, wiping her tears away with her other hand, "I don't know why… it's…" She didn't know what to say to the old woman in front of her. She just couldn't explain why she was crying now… in front of a stranger no less! She didn't understand why she was crying. Ilse handed her a handkerchief and continued to smile at her. "There's no need to apologize, dear," she said and squeezed Elena's hand gently. "You just had to let it out… It would have happened sooner or later." Elena nodded her head as she was still wiping her tears. "You're probably right," she sniffed, "I just don't understand… I thought I was already over this…" She tried to smile at Ilse through her tears, but she didn't really succeed. "Oh dear," Ilse said softly, "I'm sure you're not just crying about Zack… I know Hans isn't easy… He must be giving you a hard time, am I right?" Elena had to laugh. "You know your grandson well," she said to Ilse, "Better then I do anyway… I just don't know what to do with him anymore…" She sighed deeply and hung her head in defeat. "Oh dear," Ilse said, squeezing Elena's hand again; firmly this time. "Everything will turn out fine! You'll see… But these things take time… and no one knows how much time… He lost his son! And unfortunately he takes his anger and grief out on you…" Ilse was silent for a moment but then said: "I will talk to him…" Elena looked up in disbelief and then shook her head. "Oh no, you don't have to… it's…" Elena said but Ilse interrupted her. "Oh yes I will," Ilse said determinedly, "I know how stubborn he can be… and he shouldn't be hurting a sweet girl like you." Elena had to smile at that. The old lady had already stolen her heart. She was one of the sweetest women she had ever met. And so 'grandma-like'!

Elena was about to ask Ilse where she was staying when the doors of the saloon swung open. Elena turned around and saw Hank taking in the sight of the saloon. "Why isn't this place clean yet?" he said in a gruff voice. Elena stood up from her chair and walked towards Hank. "I… I'm sorry… I…" she began, but she had no time to finish. From behind her Ilse appeared in Hank's field of vision. "Don't you be so hard on the lovely lady Hans… if anyone is to blame it would be me!" she said with a big smile. The expression on Hank's face changed the second he saw his grandmother. "Nana!" he called to her incredulously and wrapped his arms around her. "What are you doing here? I thought you were in Norway! Why'd ya come back?" As he heard himself ask the last question he fell silent. He lowered his head and sighed. Ilse raised her hand and touched his cheek. She rubbed it gently and said: "I came back for you Hans… I'm here to help you… I want to help you grieve…" Hank looked his Nana in the eyes. "Nana…" he said softly, "Ya didn't have to… I'm doing fine… and Elena is helping me." He nodded in Elena's direction and then looked back at Ilse. "That's her," he said, "I told ya about her…" Ilse smiled. "We just met!" Ilse said happily. "She's sweet and you should treat her better." Hank was dumbfounded by the remark. Elena had to smile, but she felt a little embarrassed as well. She didn't dare to look Hank in the eye.

"Nana?" Hank said questioningly. "Look at this mess!" Ilse said, "You're not going to let her clean all that on her own?" Hank looked around and then at Elena. Elena however avoided his gaze, so he turned his attention back to his Nana who was smiling brightly at him. He couldn't help but smile back at her. "No, of course not…" he finally answered, "I'll help her." Now it was Elena's turn to be surprised. He winked at her but decided not to say anything. He knew he had to talk to Elena eventually. He hadn't been treating her right and obviously his grandmother knew that as well.

"Where are you staying?" he asked his grandma. "Oh, at the hotel down the street," she said. Hank nodded. "I'll bring ya back, alright." Ilse nodded in agreement. "It was nice to meet you Elena," she said to the woman in question. "It was very nice to meet you as well," Elena said softly, "Maybe we could have breakfast together tomorrow morning… the three of us…" She looked at Hank, uncertain of what he would say. "Sounds good to me…" he said and smiled at Elena. The smile made her feel good. _Maybe he's turning around…_ "Very well then," Ilse said, "See you tomorrow…" And with the everlasting smile on her face she left the saloon. Hank nodded briefly at Elena and followed his Nana outside…

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After Hank had brought his grandmother back to the hotel he had helped Elena cleaning the saloon. They didn't say much to each other and Hank wondered how he could ever make it up to her. He had treated her badly and he would probably treat her bad from time to time in the future. That, unfortunately, was in his nature. But if he wouldn't do something about the current situation he would probably loose her forever. They needed to talk to each other, that was for sure. And they didn't just need to talk TO each other but also ABOUT each other. Like they had talked that day in the restaurant in Denver. They needed to get to know one another.

As Elena prepared the last few things before opening up the saloon, Hank walked up to her and grabbed the bottles of whiskey she was holding from her hands. "What are you doing?" Elena asked him. He smiled at her and put the bottles on the bar. "I'm giving ya the night off," he said. Elena didn't believe what Hank had just said. "Excuse me?" she asked him and gave him a confused look. Hank sighed. _Women! Why do you have to explain everything to them… Can't they just take the hint? _"Look," he started, "I know I've been treating ya badly lately… and I want to make it up to ya." Elena looked at him incredulously. "By giving me a night off?" she almost sounded angry. To her surprise Hank grinned at her. "No," he said, "But I have plans tomorrow which involve you… and I need yer full attention for it." He put his hands on her shoulders and rubbed them gently. His mouth was near her ear when he said softly: "So go upstairs or wherever ya want to go… relax… and make sure you're well rested when I take ya along with me tomorrow." Elena turned her head a little so she could look into his eyes. "Are you seducing me… Hans?" she said and gave him a flashing smile. He had to laugh at that. "Maybe," he said and then turned around to open up the saloon. Elena was still smiling as many guests entered the saloon. _Maybe Ilse was right… _she thought, _Maybe everything will turn out all right… eventually…_

TBC

I know that I may have described Ilse a bit differently from what we've seen of her in the episode "Woman of the Year". My opinion is that what we've seen of her there, isn't much to go on to make a good and thoroughly description of her character. For that, her part in "Woman of the Year" was too small and unfortunately she didn't come back in future episodes. I hope you all like my version of Ilse! Just a cute, little old woman, smiley and very grandma-like… Please review! Hit the blue button below… :D


	3. Chapter 3

English is not my native language and I'm still looking for a beta reader, so if there are spelling or grammar mistakes… I'm sorry! But you can still apply for the job as my beta reader!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, I do not own the characters of "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman"… One Beth Sullivan does… But I do own the characters Jonas "John" Kerrigan and Elena!

**Rating:** I don't know anything about these ratings, but let's say T or PG-13. Just to be safe...

**Warnings:** I know that in the official Dr. Quinn timeline Hank's Nana is introduced in Season 4, so after Dr. Mike's and Sully's wedding. However, in my story they aren't married yet, but they already do know Ilse. So, in my timeline the events concerning Hank and his Nana in the episode "Woman of the Year" have already happened. So this story is slightly AU… I hope it doesn't bother you…

This story is the sequel to "Past Fears" and "Child of Mine". If you haven't read those stories I suggest you do that first. Otherwise this story won't make a lot of sense… I think…

**Summary: **Hank is trying to pick up his life again, with a little help from Elena. However, there still is a man out there who doesn't want to see Hank happy…

Again, thank you to those who reviewed! I'm glad you all like Nana… Here's chapter 3!

**Chapter 3**

"Oh, it's so nice to see you again Mrs. Lawsenstrum!" Myra said tot the old, smiling woman in front of her. Hank watched the exchange between the two women and couldn't help but smile. This morning they all went to Grace's Café to have some breakfast and all of the townspeople had seemed to be delighted to see his grandmother again. They had asked her many questions about what she had been doing since her last visit and Michaela, of course, had asked her about her health. To Hank it had been an interesting question. Last time his Nana had come to Colorado Springs she was having heart problems, so Hank had been curious to know the answer to Michaela's question. "Oh, I'm doing fine!" she had said, "I've been visiting a specialist back in Norway and he's helped me very much. I'm feeling much better!" Michaela had seemed satisfied by the answer, though Hank still had his doubts.

He watched his grandma carefully as Myra and Horace said their goodbyes to Ilse. She looked happy, which made him a bit more happier as well. It also felt good that there were at least some people in this town that seemed to care about something that was part of the life of Hank Lawson. _Wait, that wasn't fair…_ During the last few months these people showed that they DID care about him. They all had felt terrible about what had happened to Zack and most of them really felt for Hank. It had amazed him how many people cared for his wellbeing. Michaela had checked on him almost every day. Then there had been Sully who had gotten him to talk again. Jake had stepped by now and then for a little chitchat. Even Grace had showed her sympathy by bringing him some soup or stew every day. _I owe these people for the rest of my life…_

Hank looked at his grandmother again who was now talking to Elena. _Elena…_ She had been so good to him. She had given up her own life in Denver to take care of him and his business. And he had never thanked her for it. _Why have I been treating her so badly? She doesn't deserve it… she deserves better. Better than me?_ He took in the sight of the beautiful woman in question. Just looking at her made him smile. It made his skin tingle and his heart beat faster. Was he in love? He had been asking himself that question for months now. He kept coming up with one answer: Yes… _But how can I be in love with someone I hardly know? I don't know anything about her… I don't even know her last name… Will I still be in love with her if I really get to know her? _He sighed. _Well, only one way to find out…_

"Elena?" he called. Elena turned around at the sound of his voice and smiled at him. "Ya ready?" he asked her softly. She nodded at him happily. "Yes!" she answered and walked towards him. "Ya gonna be okay, Nana?" Hank asked his grandmother. "Oh, yes of course!" Ilse answered, "Dr. Quinn asked me to come over to her place for lunch. I'll be in good hands… Enjoy yourselves!" She waved at Elena and her grandson and then walked towards Michaela who was already waiting for her at the carriage. "Well, seems like she's not going to miss us…" Elena said. Hank chuckled and said: "So it seems… Let's go!"

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"Are we there yet?" Elena asked impatiently. "No," Hank replied with a grin on his face. Elena sighed. They had been traveling through the woods for over half an hour and Elena still didn't have a clue of where Hank was taking her. _It's a good thing we're traveling by horse, _she thought,_ I would never have made it this far with these shoes… _"Are we there yet?" she asked again. "No," Hank said with a chuckle. _Where on earth is he taking me? _"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" She asked him and gave him an annoying look. Again Hank grinned at her. "Yes," was his only reply. _This better be good…_ she thought.

After a few minutes they arrived at a clearing in the woods. She looked around the forest clearing and smiled as she finally realized what Hank was up to. A few feet away from her, a plaid blanket was lying on the ground with lots of food and drinks on it. As she walked closer she noticed that there were roses lying all around the blanket. "Oh Hank!" she exclaimed and turned around to face him, however, instead she came 'eye to eye' with a beautiful red rose. "A beautiful flower for an even more beautiful woman," Hank said as he handed Elena the flower. She looked up at the man in front of her and gratefully took the flower from his hands. "It's beautiful," she whispered, "You shouldn't have…" Hank shook his head. "I wanted to do this for ya," he said, "Yer worth it… It's my way of saying 'thank ya' for everything ya have done for me in the last few months." Elena smiled at him and stroked his cheek. "Oh Hank…" she said. She was at a loss for words. She couldn't remember the last time a man had made her feel so special.

Hank grabbed her hand and asked: "Ya hungry?" She nodded and looked at all the food lying on the blanket. "Would be a waste of all that good food, wouldn't it?" she said with a mischievous smile. "Definitely," Hank said as he followed her towards the picnic spot. They both sat down on the blanket and enjoyed the good food, drinks… and each other. To Elena everything was perfect. She wished this picnic could last forever. The weather was beautiful, the food wonderful and the setting was downright romantic! And she was sharing it all with the man she was in love with…

"So," Elena started, "This would be a great opportunity to get to know each other better, wouldn't it?" Hank smiled at her as he lay on his side beside her on the blanket. "My thoughts exactly," he said. "So," Elena continued, "Who's going to talk first?" "You are," Hank answered with a big grin on his face. "Me?" Elena exclaimed. Then she laughed and asked: "What would you like to know?" Hank was silent for a moment. "Well, yer last name would be a good start," he said softly, "And I'd like to know where yer from… about yer family…" Elena smiled at him.

"Well," she started, "My name is Elena Alvarez and I'm from Mexico. My great-grandfather was from Spain actually, but I was born in Mexico… In the north of Mexico, near the Californian border." Elena watched Hank's face closely as she spoke. He seemed to absorb every word she said and so she continued. "I'm the middle child in my family. I have two older brothers and two younger brothers. My mother died when I was 14 years old, so it was my job to take care of my two younger brothers. My father was a farmer… so he had a very busy life… Started early in the morning and went to bed late in the evening. After my mother died I helped him as much as I could, together with my brothers…" She was quiet for a while. "So, how did ya end up here?" Hank asked curiously. Elena sighed. "Business didn't go well," she continued, "We had to sell everything and find another way to make a living. My two older brothers had already left the house by then. They got married and everything… So me, my dad and my two younger brothers traveled around… first we went to California… had some jobs here and there, but my father just didn't seem happy there… Neither was I… So we decided to travel further. That's how we ended up in Denver. Although my father wasn't used to living in a big city, he felt at home there… Got a job as a salesman… he's got a store now like Loren does… And I got offered a job at the art school. I loved it there…" Again she was quiet. "And I took ya away from there…" Hank said softly, his voice full of regret. "Oh no, Hank!" Elena said, "I went with you because I wanted to! How many times do I have to tell you that? I've never regretted it! Not one minute!" Hank looked at her incredulously. "Well, maybe a second or two… maybe thirty…" she said with a laugh. The look on Hank's face was priceless. She couldn't help but to burst into laughter. Her laugh was so infectious that Hank couldn't help but to laugh as well.

"So, what's your story?" Elena asked him once she had finished laughing. "How did you end up in Colorado Springs?" Hank sighed deeply. He hated to talk about himself. But she had a right to know. He thought about how to tell her his story. She already knew about the period his father had died and John Kerrigan came into his life, so it would be of no use to tell her that again. Eventually he spoke: "I never thought I would miss my parents much, until they were really gone… Both my parents always gave me the feeling that I didn't matter much… that I wasn't good for anythin'. The only one who seemed to give a damn about me was my Nana. Then my father died and Jonas came into my life. I've never missed my father more. I had thought about leaving a million times, but I just couldn't do it to my mother… or to Nana. I never told Nana what John did to me… how he treated me… it would break her heart… But I think somehow she knew. After my mom died, Nana came to me and told me it was time for me to think about my own life. She gave me her blessing for leavin'… She didn't have to tell me twice. I grabbed my stuff, she gave me some money and I left the same night… The next day I was on a boat to this country…" He was quiet for a while. He looked over to Elena who seemed to be listening carefully. "So Ilse actually gave you permission to run away…" she said softly, "She's a very special lady…" Hank nodded in agreement. "Yeah, she is…" he said softly, his voice almost a whisper.

"What happened when you arrived here?" Elena asked him. Hank laughed, although it wasn't a happy laugh. "I was determined to start my own business. I wanted to prove that I could take care of myself… that I could do whatever I wanted… that I was something… Unfortunately that's not how it works… I didn't have much money, so I had to work for other people first before I had money enough to start my own business. Mostly I worked as a barkeep in different saloons and because I didn't know anythin' else I eventually started my own saloon… in Colorado Springs… I just got there by accident. Just traveled through it and thought it would be a nice place to start a saloon. I'd picked up some girls along the way… promised them I would help them make a living… Amongst them was Zack's ma… Clarice…" Again Hank lapsed into silence. He hung is head as he felt ashamed and sad at the same time. Elena put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently. "You must have loved her very much…" Elena said softly. "Yes, I did…" Hank whispered. Elena stroked his hair and pulled him into her embrace. Together they lay on the blanket, Hank's head on Elena's shoulder. They were silent, but it was a comforting silence.

"Do you ever want to get married?" Elena suddenly asked. "What?" Hank pulled out from her embrace and looked down on her, leaning on an elbow. "Do you ever want to get married?" she asked him again. Hank chuckled. "Oh, I don't know…" he said, "I don't think I'm the marrying kind of guy…" He looked into her eyes; those big, dark and sparkling eyes that took his breath away. "That's too bad then…" she answered with a cheeky smile, "Because I AM the marrying kind of gal…" Hank had to laugh about her remark, but decided not to say anything further about the subject. He didn't want to think about marriage just yet. Again he looked into the dark eyes of the beautiful woman who was lying beside him on the blanket. She looked back into his with longing. Then he leaned down to kiss her gently on the lips. The kiss was soft at first, but then it slightly deepened. Elena felt her heart skip a beat as she felt Hank's hungry lips on hers. She wished this moment would never end. They both breathed heavily as they eventually broke the kiss. "Wow…" was all Elena could manage to say. "That was…" she couldn't find the words to describe it. Hank had to chuckle. "I think the earth moved," he said and winked at her. She had to giggle and nodded in agreement. Then Hank looked up at the sky and said: "It'll be dark soon… We need to go home…" Elena sighed and gave him a disappointing look. "Okay," she said, "But only if you promise me we'll do this again soon." Hank laughed and kissed her on her forehead. "I promise…"

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From a distance a pair of eyes had watched the romantic picnic of Hank and Elena. _Well, well, well… You're stronger then I thought, Hans… I thought you would have ended your miserable life by now! But the game is not over yet… There's still one major prize to win… The beautiful Elena… And I will do anything to make her mine! Anything… _John Kerrigan chuckled softly but evilly as he left the scene silently…

TBC

Muwhahahahaha! Yes, there he was! John Kerrigan has returned… Tension rises! Read and Review… Please!


	4. Chapter 4

English is not my native language and I'm still looking for a beta reader, so if there are spelling or grammar mistakes… I'm sorry! But you can still apply for the job as my beta reader!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, I do not own the characters of "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman"… One Beth Sullivan does… But I do own the characters Jonas "John" Kerrigan and Elena!

**Rating:** I don't know anything about these ratings, but let's say T or PG-13. Just to be safe...

**Warnings:** I know that in the official Dr. Quinn timeline Hank's Nana is introduced in Season 4, so after Dr. Mike's and Sully's wedding. However, in my story they aren't married yet, but they already do know Ilse. So, in my timeline the events concerning Hank and his Nana in the episode "Woman of the Year" have already happened. So this story is slightly AU… I hope it doesn't bother you…

This story is the sequel to "Past Fears" and "Child of Mine". If you haven't read those stories I suggest you do that first. Otherwise this story won't make a lot of sense… I think…

**Summary: **Hank is trying to pick up his life again, with a little help from Elena. However, there still is a man out there who doesn't want to see Hank happy…

A big thank you to my loyal readers and reviewers! You are great!

**Chapter 4**

"Good morning" Elena said as Hank walked into the tiny kitchen of the saloon. He looked like he was still asleep, his eyes were half open and his hair was still a bit tousled. He looked up at the sound of Elena's voice and saw her sitting at the kitchen table eating her breakfast. His eyes lit up when he saw her and grinned. "Good morning," he said as he took in her beauty. "I made you some coffee," Elena said in a kind of seductive voice. She pointed at the coffeepot in front of her. "Ya did," Hank said still grinning and sat down opposite Elena. He poured himself some coffee. "Want some?" he asked her. She shook her head. "I hate coffee in the morning… I've got tea!" she said mischievously.

No more words were spoken. They just enjoyed their breakfast and each other. They stared into each other's eyes and smiled at one other. W_hat the hell am I doing? _Hank thought. _I can't believe I'm acting this way… I must be loosing it… Or I must be in love… Is this what it's like to be truly in love? If it is… It feels damn good! _His thoughts wandered back to the day before. To the wonderful picnic they had. He had felt so at peace. And he had really got to know Elena better. She had turned out to be even more beautiful and sweet and lovely than he had thought she was! And they had kissed… She had let him kiss her and she had kissed him back…

_He's a good kisser… _Elena thought. The kiss had repeated itself over and over again in her dreams last night. _Not that I have much to compare it to… But it was a wonderful kiss! And he's even more wonderful… _She looked at Hank who was still looking at her as well. He gave her a wink which made her look away shyly. It was amazing how he could make her feel. The fluttery feeling in her tummy just didn't seem to disappear. But it felt good! She felt good. She felt safe… with him…

The comforting silence was brutally interrupted when Jake stormed into the saloon. "Hank!" he called. Both Hank and Elena stood up and left the small kitchen. "Jake?" Hank said as he entered the main room. "What 'd ya want?" Hank said, slightly annoyed that his peaceful breakfast with Elena had been disturbed. Though, the look on Jake's face worried him a little. "It's ya grandma," Jake answered. "What about her?" Hank said a bit more worried. "She collapsed," Jake said bluntly, "I just brought her to Dr. Mike." _Okay, NOW I'm really worried! _He turned around and looked at Elena. She nodded at him and said: "It's alright! Go!" Hank didn't need to be told twice. He immediately ran away with Jake to the clinic, leaving a worrying Elena behind.

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Hank didn't care to knock on the door, and stormed into clinic. There he found his grandmother lying on the examination table, Michaela right beside her. "Nana! Are ya alright?" he asked her, worry evident in his voice. "Oh, I'm fine Hans," she said and gave him one of her sweetest smiles. Hank wasn't convinced though. "What's wrong with her Michaela?" he asked the woman doctor. Michaela sighed. "I don't know yet, Hank," she answered, "I need to examine her first." Hank nodded and turned to his grandmother again. "Nana, I thought ya were seeing a specialist," he said to her gently. "I am Hans," she said to her grandson, "I don't understand…" Both Dr. Mike and Hank looked at Ilse questioningly. "Hank," Michaela said, "Would you mind waiting outside, so I can examine your grandmother? I'll call you as soon as I'm finished." Hank nodded and stepped outside where he found Jake waiting for him on a bench. "She okay?" Jake asked him. Hank just shook his head. "I don't know…"

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Michaela reached for her stethoscope and placed it on Ilse's chest. She listened carefully to her heartbeat and breathing, which both didn't sound as they should. She put the stethoscope away and decided to take Ilse's blood pressure. She sighed at the results. "Ilse," she said to the old lady on the examination table, "You've never seen a specialist, have you?" "Of course I have!" Ilse protested, but then she looked away and dropped into silence. "Alright," she sighed, "I've seen the man once." Michaela looked at Ilse carefully. "And?" Michaela said softly. "And…" Ilse said, "I didn't like what he told me." Ilse settled herself in a sitting position on the table. "What did he tell you?" Michaela was curious.

Ilse sighed deeply. "I have a serious heart condition, Dr. Mike," she started, "And the only way I can grow really old with it is doing absolutely nothing… well, nothing much anyway. The specialist told me to rest… I had to take it real easy for the rest of my life. He said I couldn't travel anymore, couldn't take long walks, go shopping, etcetera, etcetera. He prescribed me some medication which I had to take twice a day. But they made me feel so tired! I was in bed almost the whole day, every day! I decided I didn't want to live like that Dr. Mike… I'm already pretty old, and I've had a nice life… I just want to make the best of the time I still have left. Quality of life is more important to me now than quantity."

Michaela listened to the old lady and really felt for her. "Is there really nothing they can do?" she asked softly. Ilse shook her head. "No… and even if there was something… I wouldn't want it…" Both women were quiet for a while. "Hank doesn't know about this, does he?" Michaela suddenly asked. Again Ilse shook her head. "No, and I don't want him to know." she answered. Michaela couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Ilse, he has the right to know!" she almost sounded angry. Ilse just smiled at her. "He already has so much on his mind, Dr. Mike," she explained, "So many things he has to deal with… I don't want to worry him." But the lady doctor wouldn't understand. "And what if you suddenly die, Ilse?" she tried again, "What do I have to tell him then?" "The truth…" the old woman answered simply. "He'll feel betrayed," Michaela stated, "Do you really want to do this to him?" Ilse didn't answer.

"Ilse," Michaela continued, "He never got the chance to say goodbye to his son… And I know ho much this pains him… Please Ilse, at least give him the chance to say goodbye to you!" Ilse remained quiet, but the smile had disappeared from her face. "Just think about what I said, alright?" Michaela said gently. Ilse nodded at her. "I want to keep you here overnight," Michaela decided to change the subject. "Your breathing and blood pressure still worry me. I'll have Colleen prepare a room for you." Ilse nodded again at Michaela and smiled at her. "You're a good woman Michaela Quinn…" she said. The comment caused Michaela to blush. She returned the smile and said: "I'll ask Hank if he can pick up some of your things at the hotel." Then she walked outside.

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_Dear Diary,_

_I know I already wrote you last night, but this morning something happened. Hank's grandma collapsed. I know she has heart problems… Hank told me that… I'm so worried about her! And I fear for Hank… He adores her! If she dies… I'm not sure he'll be able to handle that… especially not so soon after_

Elena looked up from her diary. _What was that? I'm sure I heard something…_ She stood up and opened the door from her room. She looked down the hall but didn't see anyone. "Hank?" she called, but there was no answer. She walked down the hall in the direction of the stairs. She stopped as she reached the stairs and listened carefully. "Hank, is that you?" she called again. _I'm really freaking myself out… _She was about to turn around to return to her room when she was grabbed forcefully from behind. She felt the blade of a knife pressed against her cheek.

"Don't. Make a sound…" said an awfully threatening, but very familiar voice…

TBC

Sorry it took so long! But I had to work, I've been suffering from food poisoning AND I had to get over the fact that I'm lousy Dr. Quinn fan… I scored ZERO points during the Dr. Quinn Second Season quiz… But I wasn't alone! LOL! I'm happy to be part of CLUB ZERO…


	5. Chapter 5

English is not my native language and I'm still looking for a beta reader, so if there are spelling or grammar mistakes… I'm sorry! But you can still apply for the job as my beta reader!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, I do not own the characters of "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman"… One Beth Sullivan does… But I do own the characters Jonas "John" Kerrigan and Elena!

**Rating:** I don't know anything about these ratings, but let's say T or PG-13. Just to be safe...

**Warnings:** I know that in the official Dr. Quinn timeline Hank's Nana is introduced in Season 4, so after Dr. Mike's and Sully's wedding. However, in my story they aren't married yet, but they already do know Ilse. So, in my timeline the events concerning Hank and his Nana in the episode "Woman of the Year" have already happened. So this story is slightly AU… I hope it doesn't bother you…

This story is the sequel to "Past Fears" and "Child of Mine". If you haven't read those stories I suggest you do that first. Otherwise this story won't make a lot of sense… I think…

**Summary: **Hank is trying to pick up his life again, with a little help from Elena. However, there still is a man out there who doesn't want to see Hank happy…

**Chapter 5**

"Don't. Make a sound," John said to Elena. _John Kerrigan! _ Elena thought. _How on earth did he get here? _She was on the verge of panicking as she realized that she was alone with a very dangerous man and wondered how she would ever make it out of this situation alive. "Walk down the stairs, slowly," John ordered her. The knife was still pressed against her cheek. "Don't make any surprising moves," he continued, "Don't scream or yell… hell, don't even speak… I swear, you won't live to tell…" Elena did what she was told. She was too scared to disobey. _Please Hank, come back!_ Her mind was screaming for Hank to return, but deep down inside she knew he wouldn't. He would probably stay with his grandma for the rest of the day. And she didn't have to count on any help from the girls, because she had ordered them all to go outside and enjoy the nice weather. _"Fresh air is good for all of you!" _ she had said. _"I don't want to see any of your faces till late afternoon!"_ They had all cheered and had left the saloon happily.

She walked down the stairs slowly. John was right behind her, the knife still against her cheek. Suddenly she realized that she really was on her own. She had to trust her own instincts and gather all of her wits to survive this. She had to think quickly and suddenly remembered a move her brother had once thought her.

"_If someone grabs you like this, pretend that you faint… then you strike!" _ She was halfway the stairs and looked down. _Please God, let this work, s_he thought as she let herself fall down the stairs. She landed hard on the floor, on her left thigh. _Ouch! That's going to leave a mark!_ She looked up and saw that John was still standing halfway the stairs. He looked at her incredulously. She had obviously taken him by surprise. However, reality caught up with John fast, and he run down the stairs angrily. Elena stood up quickly, trying to get away from him. As she stood up she felt what the fall had actually done to her body. She ached all over and wasn't able to move fast because of that.

The evil smirk had returned on John's face. "Elena, Elena," he said evilly, "What did I just tell you? Don't make any surprising moves… or you won't live to tell! Now I have to make you pay…" He walked towards her with the knife still in his hand. Elena threw everything at him she could lay her hands on. "Stay away from me!" she yelled at him. She noticed that he was driving her into a corner. "Haven't you done enough?" she asked him almost desperately. "You already destroyed Hank's life! Aren't you satisfied with that? Leave us alone!" She grabbed a glass and threw it to his head. John just ducked and chuckled as the glass missed its target. How she hated the sound of that chuckle! It brought chills down her spine.

"Oh, I'm definitely satisfied with the fact that Hank had to go through the same thing I did…" John said to Elena. "Though, I made myself a promise right after we met in Denver… I promised myself that if I would succeed in killing Hans' son, I could have you! A bit like a well-deserved present…" He laughed loudly as he saw the bewildered and scared look on her face. "Besides, one dead son doesn't make up for the TWO children I've lost… Hans and I… we're not even yet!" Elena's body shook all over as John spoke. The fear she felt was overwhelming. She couldn't remember ever being this afraid. She looked around for a way out, but couldn't find any. Then she realized she had reached the wall. The satisfying look on John's face told her that she was trapped. She tried to scream, but her voice gave out because of the enormous fear she was feeling. Tears were burning in her eyes, while her mind kept showing her the picture of Hank's dead son. His throat slit, blood pouring out of the open wound. _I don't want to end up like that! Please God, I don't want to die… _she thought desperately.

John was closing in on her. He put the knife back in his pocket but grabbed a cloth and a little bottle from his other pocket. "You know Elena," he said to her, "When I first saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful woman on earth. I still think that, by the way… What I just can't understand is why you have to stay with Hans, of all people! I can give you whatever you want… A woman like you shouldn't be living in a saloon… People may think you're one of the girls…" As he spoke he put some chloroform on the cloth. Elena looked at John carefully and understood what he was planning to do. "Hank can give me everything I need!" she said, her voice filled with hate, fear and anger. "He gives me love! He trusts me and I trust him! He makes me feel safe… he makes me feel that I matter! You will never be able to give me these things!" She nearly sobbed as she practically screamed out her feelings. John's face darkened while she spoke. "Shut up!" he roared, but Elena was on a roll. "You just can't stand that he can have a woman like me! That he loves me and that I love him! You're just jealous of him! You want the things that he has! You even wish you could BE like him! Well, you better think again JOHN, because you will NEVER be like him! You will NEVER have what he has! You'll hmpf…" "SHUT UP!" John yelled at her from the top of his lungs. At the same time he grabbed Elena and put the cloth against her face. Elena struggled hard, kicking and twisting in his grip, but within seconds the effects of the chloroform set in and she went limp in John's arms…

"You WILL be mine Elena," he said to her and stroked her long, dark hair. "You will be mine, one way or the other. Either way… you'll NEVER be Hans'…" He laid her gently on the floor. Then he grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil from his pocket and started to write…

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Hank stepped outside the clinic where Jake was waiting for him once again. Hank had dropped of some of his grandma's stuff, because she had to stay at the clinic for one night. He looked at Jake briefly, but it was long enough for Jake to see the worry in his friend's eyes. "Is she going to be okay?" he asked him. Hank shrugged. "I don't know," he answered. "Michaela says that there's something wrong with her blood pressure and that she has trouble breathing." Jake saw the worried look on his face. "Well, she's in good hands, Hank," Jake tried to assure him. Hank nodded. They walked in the direction of the saloon in silence. Suddenly Hank spoke: "I think there's something she's not telling me." Jake looked at his friend carefully. "What's that?" he asked. Hank shook his head. "I wish I knew," he answered, "I can't put my fingers on it."

"Well, I'm going home," Jake said when they reached the saloon, "Say hello to Elena for me." Hank nodded. "Jake!" he called after him. "Want a beer?" He grinned at Jake and beckoned him to get inside. Jake smiled. No way he would turn down a free drink. He followed Hank inside who suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. "What's wrong?" Jake asked. Hank didn't bother to explain. "Elena!" he called and walked towards the stairs. As Hank moved away from him Jake saw what had shocked Hank. The saloon was a mess. It looked like there had been a fight. There was broken glass everywhere. Tables and chairs were lying on the floor, some of them broken. "Elena!" Hank called again, but there was no answer. Jake walked over to the bar, while Hank went upstairs to look for Elena. His eye fell on a piece of paper that was lying on the bar. He grabbed it and was horrified with what it said:

_Hello Hans,_

_Guess who! Sorry about the mess, but that woman of yours is quite difficult to handle. But I was able to tame her eventually… Now, let's play that game again, shall we? If you haven't found us before sunrise tomorrow, I'm afraid that the beautiful Elena will never see daylight again…_

_J.K._

"Oh no…" Jake said in disbelief. _John Kerrigan is back! And he has Elena… If he hurts her I'll… _"She's not here," Hank said who got downstairs again. Then he saw that Jake was holding a note. "What's that?" he asked Jake and pointed at the note. Jake sighed. How was he going to tell Hank that the murderer of his son had returned and has now kidnapped the woman that he loves? "Hank," he spoke softly, but worry was evident in his voice. "We have a major problem…" He was quiet for a moment and then gave the note to Hank. "John Kerrigan is back in town…"

TBC

How about that! Two chappies in one week! And no! John hasn't read Elena's diary, so you were a bit on the wrong track Ella! But fantastic that you all have ideas of how the storyline could continue! I hope you liked this chapter! I hope I haven't disappointed you. Tension rises and rises… Reviews are very, very welcome!


	6. Chapter 6

English is not my native language and I'm still looking for a beta reader, so if there are spelling or grammar mistakes… I'm sorry! But you can still apply for the job as my beta reader!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, I do not own the characters of "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman"… One Beth Sullivan does… But I do own the characters Jonas "John" Kerrigan and Elena!

**Rating:** I don't know anything about these ratings, but let's say T or PG-13. Just to be safe...

**Warnings:** I know that in the official Dr. Quinn timeline Hank's Nana is introduced in Season 4, so after Dr. Mike's and Sully's wedding. However, in my story they aren't married yet, but they already do know Ilse. So, in my timeline the events concerning Hank and his Nana in the episode "Woman of the Year" have already happened. So this story is slightly AU… I hope it doesn't bother you…

This story is the sequel to "Past Fears" and "Child of Mine". If you haven't read those stories I suggest you do that first. Otherwise this story won't make a lot of sense… I think…

**Summary: **Hank is trying to pick up his life again, with a little help from Elena. However, there still is a man out there who doesn't want to see Hank happy…

Thank you for all your lovely reviews! I'm glad you're all still interested in this story! Here's chapter six!

**Chapter 6**

Hank turned as white as a sheet when he heard Jake's words. _Jonas is back! Oh no…_ Hank took the note from Jake's hand and tried to figure out what it said. He recognized some of the words and was able to read Elena's name, but wasn't able to completely understand what was said in the note. "What does it say?" he asked Jake. His voice was soft, almost a whisper. "He has Elena, right?" Jake just nodded. "We have to find her before sunrise…" Jake said. He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. "If we don't he'll kill her…"

Hank felt like he was going to pass out. The world started to spin, his legs started to shake and his stomach was about turn. He felt sick. _No… not again… I can't do this! He'll kill her… just like he killed Zack… I can't take this… _He felt like his heart was being ripped out from his chest. "Hank, maybe you should sit down…" Jake said as he saw his friend sway a little. He grabbed a chair for Hank to sit down on, but Hank pushed it away. "No!" he said loudly. "No… I don't have time to sit down… I have to go look for her… I… I have to find her…" He tried to walk away from Jake who had grabbed his arm forcefully. "No Hank," Jake said to him, "Not yet! It's no use going after them half-cocked… ARE you listening to me?" He forced Hank to have eye contact with him. He gave him a penetrating look and saw realization hit Hank. Adrenaline kicked through his body and he felt his dizziness and sickness subside. He nodded at Jake. "You're right," he said, "we need a plan… we need a search party." Jake nodded his head in agreement and let go of Hank's arm. "I'll gather everyone in town," he said to Hank and turned around to walk outside. "Jake," Hank called after him. Jake turned around to face him. "We better find her, Jake… I don't know what I'll do if we turn up too late again…" _And I don't want to find out… _Jake thought in response. "We'll find her Hank," Jake said and then left the saloon.

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As Hank waited for Jake to return with the townspeople, lots of things went through his mind. His hate for John grew by the minute. Why couldn't the man just leave him alone? He had already hurt him so much… when was it going to end? _When he's dead…_ Hank thought, _It'll be over when he's dead…_ He began to think about all the possible and unpleasant ways someone could die. _I could just shoot him… or drown him like he let his own kids drown… or slice him into tiny little pieces… stab him a dozen times… slit his throat like he slit my son's… _He clenched his fists as he felt anger and hate building up inside of him. _You will pay Jonas! For everything you have ever done to me! To me, my son and to Elena…_ He wanted revenge…

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The townspeople gathered in front of the saloon and were talking loudly to each other. They had heard what had happened in the saloon. Jake had told them that Elena had gone missing and that John Kerrigan had obviously kidnapped her. Each of the citizens had his or her own idea what could have happened to Elena. "Ahh… she's probably already dead!" Loren said grumpy. "Loren!" Dorothy exclaimed. "We shouldn't be thinking that! We have to keep on hoping… At least for Hank's sake!" Loren shrugged and nodded. "Maybe your right…" he said to her, "But I still think it'll be too late for her…" Dorothy sighed. Even though she kept telling everyone to keep their hopes up, her mind kept telling her that Elena was already dead.

"I don't think we'll find her alive either," Robert E. joined in the conversation. "And even if we DO find her alive she'd probably wish she was dead…" Dorothy looked at him incredulously. "What do you mean by that?" she asked him. "I know the type of man this John is, Dorothy," Robert E. said to her. "Do you really think he'll just tie her up somewhere and won't do anything else to her? Such a beautiful woman like her? There are a lot of ways he can make her suffer before he decides to kill her!" Dorothy's eyes went wide as realization struck her. She put her hands in front of her mouth for a moment. "Oh no!" she exclaimed.

"Silence!" Jake called to the crowd and everyone stopped talking. "As you all know by now, Elena has been abducted by John Kerrigan. He left us a note which says that if we haven't found her by tomorrow morning, he'll kill her. I asked you all to come here, because I want to set up a search party. I need as many men as possible to help us look for her." He looked at Hank who leaned against the front wall of the saloon. "I'm in!" Robert E. called. "Me too!" Sully raised his hand as did Horace. "I'll help you as well," the Reverend said. "Loren?" Dorothy turned to the man who stood beside her. "Ah Dorothy!" he said, "I'm old… and we're going to be too late anyway!" Dorothy shot him an angry look. "If you won't do it for Elena, then at least do it for Hank! You always say that he's your friend… act like one!" Loren sighed and then nodded in agreement. "I'll help…" he finally said. "Me too!" Matthew called from the back of the crowd.

"Okay," Jake said, "So now we have Robert E., Loren, Sully, Matthew, Horace, the Reverend, me and Hank. Anyone else who wants to help?" A few more men raised there hands. "Okay, great!" Jake said. "What about the women?" Myra suddenly said. "Can't we help?" Jake looked at Hank who shook his head in disagreement. "Hank, you need all the help you can get," Michaela stepped forward, "I'm going with you… I she's hurt you're going to need a doctor." Hank moved towards her with a determined look on his face. "You're not going anywhere, lady," he said in a gruff voice. "I need you to take care of my Nana." Michaela shook her head. "Colleen can do that," she said stubbornly. "No!" Hank told her again, "I need YOU to do that…" Then he turned to the rest of the townspeople. "I want all the women to stay here," he said, "I appreciate ya want to help Elena, but ya have to realize that this man is extremely dangerous. Please, just stay here… If she's able to escape I need ya to be there for her… to take care of her…" He looked briefly at every woman in the crowd, to make sure they would stay in town. Eventually they all nodded in agreement. "But if you haven't returned after sunrise tomorrow," Dorothy said to him, "we will go look for you all."

"Okay," Jake interrupted, "Now that is settled, let's talk about how we're going to do this. I think the most practical way to do this is to create 4 groups: one goes north, one west, one east and one south." Everyone nodded in agreement. "Alright," Jake continued, "Hank goes with me and Robert E., Sully goes with Horace and…" "No!" Hank called to Jake. "I'm going with Sully." Jake looked at Hank questioningly and so did Sully. Hank turned to Sully. "You have this dog right?" he asked the man in front of him. "Well, it's not really a dog, but…" Sully answered, but Hank didn't let him finish his sentence. "Whatever…" he said, "But he can smell things right? If I would give him one of Elena's shirts or anything like that, he could concentrate on her scent and hen could look for her, right?" Sully nodded. "Something like that, yes," he answered. "Then I'll go with you and your dog," Hank stated, "No one else!"

"Hank," Sully said, "Even if Wolf can follow her scent, doesn't mean we'll be going in the right direction. John is smart… It could be a diversion or a trap." "I know that, Sully," Hank said, "That's why the rest will split up and search in other directions…" He sighed. "I know that there's a chance we'll be too late," he said, not only to Sully, but to all of the townspeople. "And I know some of you think she's already dead… A part of my mind is thinkin' that too… I keep seein' Zack with his throat cut… and I really fear I will find Elena like that as well… But I HAVE to try… I will never forgive myself if she dies and I haven't tried… And the reason I try is because…" He was quiet for a moment. He was about to lay his soul bare to everyone in town. _Do I want everyone to know this? Or do they already know? _He sighed deeply before saying: "Because I love her… and because there is also a part of my mind that has hope that she's alright… I NEED that bit of hope… DON'T take that away from me…"

The citizens were quiet while Hank spoke. They had never heard him talk like that. Talk like a true human being. Like a man who cared about something… someone… They were seeing a side of him they had never seen before. Well, not often anyway. A side he usually tried to hide from everyone else. Suddenly Myra spoke: "I was wrong about you Hank," she said softly, but loud enough for everyone to hear. "You DO know what love is…" she smiled at him, then turned around and walked back home, leaving a bewildered Horace behind. _Thank you Myra…_ Hank thought in response as he watched her leave. He smiled to himself and repeated Myra's words in his head. _I really needed to hear that… _

TBC

Well, hope you liked this chapter as well! Not much tension or anything, but I hope I made a good description of Hank's reaction. Review, review, review… please!


	7. Chapter 7

English is not my native language and I'm still looking for a beta reader, so if there are spelling or grammar mistakes… I'm sorry! But you can still apply for the job as my beta reader!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, I do not own the characters of "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman"… One Beth Sullivan does… But I do own the characters Jonas "John" Kerrigan and Elena!

**Rating:** I don't know anything about these ratings, but let's say T or PG-13. Just to be safe...

**Warnings:** I know that in the official Dr. Quinn timeline Hank's Nana is introduced in Season 4, so after Dr. Mike's and Sully's wedding. However, in my story they aren't married yet, but they already do know Ilse. So, in my timeline the events concerning Hank and his Nana in the episode "Woman of the Year" have already happened. So this story is slightly AU… I hope it doesn't bother you…

This story is the sequel to "Past Fears" and "Child of Mine". If you haven't read those stories I suggest you do that first. Otherwise this story won't make a lot of sense… I think…

**Summary: **Hank is trying to pick up his life again, with a little help from Elena. However, there still is a man out there who doesn't want to see Hank happy…

Dear readers and reviewers: Thank you VERY much!

**Chapter 7**

John had been traveling through the woods for hours. First he had traveled a while on foot, carrying Elena over his shoulder. Then they had reached John's horse and had traveled further by horse. Elena had almost regained consciousness on a few occasions, but John had just grabbed the bottle with chloroform from his pocket and had sedated her again. _Not yet, beautiful, _he had thought, _not until we've reached our destination._

Now he was walking through the woods again, this time carrying Elena in his arms. He had set his horse free a few miles back. Although Elena wasn't heavy, having carried her in his arms for hours, was really starting to wear him out. _Just a little while further, _he thought to himself, _we're almost there…_

About half an hour later he reached a small cabin, which was situated on the edge of the woods. _Finally, _he thought,_ it's showtime… _He chuckled as he opened the door and carried Elena inside. The cabin consisted of one little room, which had a tiny kitchen, a table with two chairs and a bed. John felt Elena move in his arms, which meant she was about to wake up. He walked her to the back of the room and laid her on the small bed that stood against the wall. Then he grabbed a rope and tied her hands above her head to the bedpost. He stared at her, taking in her beauty. "You are so beautiful," he said softly and stroked her cheek.

Oh, how he wanted this woman! His heart started to beat faster and he felt the overwhelming need to touch her everywhere. He wanted to feel her; her skin against his. His hand moved to her neck and from her neck to her shoulder. _Soft… her skin is so soft… _He slid his hand under her blouse so her could feel more of her shoulders and her upper arms. She felt warm. He pulled his and back from under her blouse and stroked her cheek again. Then, slowly, he let his hand move down her body again until he reached her breast. He softly touched it with his fingers first, then he took it in his hand and massaged it softly. _Not too big, but not too small either… and firm! _ He was getting aroused and wasn't able to think clearly anymore. Oh, what did it feel good to touch this woman! And he wanted more… He moved further to touch her waist, her stomach and eventually her hips.

He was so consumed by touching Elena that he didn't realize she had woken up. Not until she kicked him in the chest as hard as she could. "Get away from me!" she screamed on top of her lungs. "Don't you dare touch me!" she tried to get up from the bed, but then realized that she was tied up to it. John had stumbled backwards because of the great force Elena had kicked him with, and had fallen on the ground. She had taken him by surprise so it took him a few seconds to realize what had happened. He looked over at the bed and saw Elena's bewildered and scared expression. He chuckled at the sight and stood up. "Elena, Elena," he said amused, "You'll never learn, will you? You can't escape your faith… you can't escape me…" He approached the bed again.

The look in his eyes scared Elena even more. It was a look of lust; a predator's look. "Please don't hurt me," she said pleadingly, her voice almost a whisper. Tears were burning in her eyes. She knew all to well what John was planning to do to her and it made her sick just thinking of it. John only chuckled at her plea. Elena shivered. That chuckle, that evil sounding chuckle… it brought chills down her spine. "Why?" she asked, her voice still soft, but full with fear. "Why are you doing this?" John grinned. "You know why I'm doing this…" he said, "I just like to see Hank suffer!" Elena shook her head. "Then why are you letting ME suffer?" she spoke loudly this time, sounding desperate. "Why do you want to hurt ME? I thought you liked me… You don't hurt people you like!"

John sat down on the bed and stroked her leg. Elena tried to pull away, but John leaned down over her legs so she was trapped underneath him. "I'm not going to hurt you, Elena," he said softly, "I'll make sure it'll be good for you too… you'll enjoy it…" he looked at her intensely, but Elena was shaking her head desperately. "No!" she screamed out. "You know damn well that you want to hurt me! You get off by it!" she was screaming hysterically. She didn't care anymore what she was saying, as long as he left her alone. "You're sick! Mentally ill! You could never make me enjoy it! You…" she was beyond sanity and screamed out everything that came to mind.

"Shut up!" John yelled at her. He looked at her angrily. Had she hit a nerve? "You're right," he said, "I WANT to hurt you… I just can't stand that you like Hank instead of me… and he likes you… he even wants you! And what greater revenge could I ask for, if I could have you first?" he laughed loudly at her. "I'll make you mine, Elena," he continued, "I'll take you and claim you as mine… and when Hank finds you, and realizes what I've done to you, he'll never want you again! And then you'll be mine forever!"

Elena listened to his words and finally broke down. She started to sob. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she realized that she would not escape this. Would Hank really turn her down? Would he hate her if he'd find out that John had had her first? _No… _"No!" she screamed at him! "You will never have me! No matter what you do, I'll NEVER be yours! You can take my body, but you can't take my soul! My soul already belongs to Hank and that's where it will stay… FOREVER!" She looked at him with disgust. "You just can't stand that he can have a woman like me," she continued her tirade. "No woman would ever want you! You're a disgusting man! You…" "SHUT THE HELL UP!" John roared and repeated the sentence over and over again. Her words had gotten him angry, furious even. He stalked towards the bed as she screamed at him. "SHUT UP!" he yelled, blind with fury. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her hard; then he slammed her in the face. He struck her with such force that Elena's world went black.

"Damn it…" John sighed when he saw that Elena was unconscious. He sat down on the bed and shook his head. _Why did I let her words get to me? _John asked himself. _I shouldn't have hit her… But hell! She deserved it! How dare she talk to me like that! How dare she!_ He sighed deeply and tried to get his act together again. Then he stood up and walked to the closet across the bed. He took a large cloth from it and then walked back to Elena. _You won't speak that way to me again, Elena…_ he thought while he gagged her. _Not one word will come from that beautiful mouth of yours… You won't interfere with my plans again! _He stepped back and looked at the woman on the bed. "You WILL be mine, Elena," he said softly. "One way or the other…"

TBC

Maybe the chapter is a bit short, but it's quite tense I think! Tell me what you think!


	8. Chapter 8

English is not my native language and I'm still looking for a beta reader, so if there are spelling or grammar mistakes… I'm sorry! But you can still apply for the job as my beta reader!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, I do not own the characters of "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman"… One Beth Sullivan does… But I do own the characters Jonas "John" Kerrigan and Elena!

**Rating:** I don't know anything about these ratings, but let's say T or PG-13. Just to be safe...

**Warnings:** I know that in the official Dr. Quinn timeline Hank's Nana is introduced in Season 4, so after Dr. Mike's and Sully's wedding. However, in my story they aren't married yet, but they already do know Ilse. So, in my timeline the events concerning Hank and his Nana in the episode "Woman of the Year" have already happened. So this story is slightly AU… I hope it doesn't bother you…

This story is the sequel to "Past Fears" and "Child of Mine". If you haven't read those stories I suggest you do that first. Otherwise this story won't make a lot of sense… I think…

**Summary: **Hank is trying to pick up his life again, with a little help from Elena. However, there still is a man out there who doesn't want to see Hank happy…

**Chapter 8**

"Hi ma," Colleen said when she saw Michaela entering the clinic. "Hello Colleen," she said to the young girl in front of her. Though, the young girl was turning into a young woman more and more every day. "How did it go?" Colleen asked, seeing the worry in her mother's eyes. "Well, almost every man in town is looking for Elena now," Michaela replied, "They set up a search party… Sully went with them as well…" She was silent for a moment and sighed deeply. "I'm so worried Colleen!" she said and almost looked desperately at her daughter. "I keep thinking bout Zack… How he ended up… and I'm so afraid that Elena will suffer the same fate!" Colleen nodded and looked back at her mother with understanding. "Me too," she said softly. "And I hate that I'm not able and allowed to help!" Michaela continued. "I wanted to go with them, but Hank told me not to… Too dangerous, he said… He wanted me to take care of Ilse…" She lapsed into silence. "He was right," Colleen said," John is a very dangerous man… and you are needed here." Michaela sighed again. "I suppose…" she answered, "How's Ilse doing anyway?" "I checked on her half an hour ago," Colleen told her mother, "She was asleep… but her breathing sounded more regularly." Michaela nodded as she listened to her daughter's words. "That's good," she said, "I'll go upstairs… see if she's awake now…"

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Michaela silently opened the door to Ilse's room. She expected that the old woman was still asleep. Instead she was greeted by Ilse's big smile. "You're awake," Michaela said to her patient and walked into the room. "How are you feeling?" "Much better, thank you," Ilse replied happily. "The commotion outside woke me," she continued, "What's going on? I heard people yelling and I heard horses… it sounded like something was very wrong." Michaela sighed deeply and turned to the window. How was she going to tell an old woman with serious heart problems that her grandson and his girlfriend are in great danger? That the woman her grandson loves is kidnapped by the man who killed her great-grandson? She wished she could tell Ilse that everything was fine, but her own body language and facial expression had already betrayed her.

"Something IS wrong!" Ilse said loudly. Michaela lowered her head for a moment; then she turned around again to face Ilse. The old lady saw worry and sadness in the lady doctor's eyes. "Well, what is it? Ilse demanded. "Ilse…" Michaela started, "I don't want to worry you…" "Well, that's too bad, dear," Hank's Nana replied, "Cause you've already gotten me worried!" Michaela shook her head. "Ilse…" "Is it Hans?" Ilse asked, worry evident in her voice. "No," Michaela answered, "Hank's fine." She saw relief washing over Ilse's face. "Then what can be so bad that you don't want to tell me?" Ilse asked her again. Michaela looked at the old lady that was lying in the bed in front of her. _She deserves to know, _she thought eventually. "It's John Kerrigan," she said softly. "Oh! Don't tell me that horrible man is back again?" Ilse exclaimed. "Unfortunately yes," Michaela answered. "He has kidnapped Elena…" "Oh no!" Ilse called out, "Oh, poor thing! Poor Hans…" Ilse lapsed into silence. She was so shocked and sad about what she'd just heard that she was at a loss for words. "Don't worry Ilse," Michaela tried to comfort her. "Everyone is looking for her… I'm sure they'll find her in time." _Please God, let them find her in time…_

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"Are you sure we're looking in the right place?" Loren asked to no one in particular. "Of course we're not sure," Robert E. answered, "It's not like John left his address on that note to lead us the way." "If that was the case we would have found her hours ago," Jake commented and shot Loren an annoying look. Jake, Loren, Horace and Robert E. had been looking for Elena for over 3 hours and they still hadn't found a single sign of her.

"It's getting dark soon," Horace stated. "Yes," Jake replied, "I'm afraid we have to head back tot town soon. We won't help anyone if we get lost ourselves." Robert E. nodded in agreement. "Can't we set up a camp somewhere?" Horace asked. "Oh, what's the use?" Loren said, "John said he'd kill her as soon as the sun rises." "And we don't have any supplies with us either," Robert E. said, "at least, not enough." Jake sighed. "Lets go back," he said, "I don't think we're looking in the right place anyway…" All men nodded in agreement, though it pained them that they weren't able to find Elena. They all turned around to head back to town, except for Jake.

"Where are you going Jake?" Loren asked him, "Yeah, I thought we were going back?" Robert E. said a bit confused. "YOU are going back; I'm not" Jake said. "Then what are you going to do?" Horace asked. "I'm going east…" Jake answered. "That's where Sully and Hank are," Robert E. stated. Jake nodded. "I know… and I have a very bad feeling about them being there… just the two of them…" Without explaining himself any further and before anyone could ask him any more questions, Jake took off on his horse and galloped away as fast as he could. The other men just watched him go, until eventually he disappeared from their sight.

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Sully and Hank walked silently through the woods. Wolf seemed to have picked up Elena's scent so both men followed the dog. First, they had travelled through the woods by horse, but as the path grew smaller and more trees and bushes were blocking their way, they were forced to travel further on foot. Sully had tried to make a conversation with Hank, but, as always, Hank hadn't felt much like talking. Sully was almost getting used to it.

Sully could see the man was worried, almost scared. Not for himself, but for Elena. Sully knew what it was like; the woman you love being abducted and not knowing whether she's alright. The worry and fear that you feel is almost unbearable. Now, Elena was in the hands of a madman; the same man who had already killed Hank's son. A man who had made it his life purpose to ruin Hank's life and those of everyone Hank loved. Sully clenched his fists. How he would love to make that man suffer! However, that was not his main priority. They needed to find Elena, and how much Sully would like to get his hands on John he knew it would be the wrong thing to do. And he'd probably have to convince Hank of that as well. Sully didn't just fear for Elena, he also feared for Hank. He could only imagine what Hank would do if he came face to face again with John.

Suddenly Hank stopped. "What's he doing?" he asked Sully, and pointed at Wolf who was walking little circles and eventually walked back to Sully. Sully sighed. "He's lost the trail," he said disappointed. "What?" Hank called out. "He can't just loose it! How could he have lost it?" Hank sounded angry, but there was also a desperate tone in his voice. "Hank, we've been through water more times than I can count," Sully explained, "It's a miracle he was able to track it down this far!" Hank just shook his head. "Now what?" he asked. His voice was soft. "I can't loose her Sully… I won't stop looking for her… I'll keep looking for her until I find her!" Sully nodded. "We won't stop looking for her Hank," he said, "I know what it's like… Remember when Michaela was abducted by Dog Soldiers?" Hank nodded. He remembered that. Sully had been worried sick and had done everything to free her. Of course Sully wouldn't think of quitting now! "We will continue to look for her, even after dark," Sully said to Hank. "Until the sun rises…" Hank said softly as they both continued their search for Elena.

They kept on searching for what seemed like for hours, but eventually they reached the edge of the forest. It had gotten dark a while ago, so the only light available to them was the moonlight. They looked around and stared at the flat plain that was stretched out in front of them. There was hardly any vegetation; no trees, no bushes; it was just a large area of flat land with a bit of grass and lots of sand. There wasn't even a sign that someone lived out there. "Now what?" Hank asked Sully. "No way he took Elena there! There's nothing there!" Sully remained quiet and thought for a moment. "He must have stayed in the woods," he answered and turned to face the woods again. He peered into it again, looking for anything that could prove that John was down here somewhere. 'There!" he called suddenly. Hank followed Sully's gaze, and saw a tiny bit of light further down the forest. "What do ya think it is?" Hank asked. "I don't know," Sully replied, "but I hope it's a cabin or something… Lets check it out!"

Both men walked towards the small, soft light they were seeing. It seemed to be further away than they thought, but it got brighter as they got closer. The closer they got, the more they were able to see. When they were about a hundred feet from the light, they could see that the light belonged to a little cabin. "Yer right!" Hank said and suddenly he felt a little bit of hope rising in his heart. "Shhh!" Sully said and put a finger against his own mouth. "We have to be quiet now," he whispered, "If John is in there we don't want to give ourselves away… or put Elena in even greater danger." Hank nodded and closed his eyes for a moment. This was the moment of truth. They were going to find out whether John was inside that cabin. Suddenly he felt fear building up inside of him. What if John had already killed Elena? Or had hurt her in the most horrible way a man could hurt a woman? What if he'd find her with her throat slit, like he had found Zack? The most horrible images played through his mind. _I can't get through this again…_ he thought. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes and looked into Sully's meaningful ones. "Ya ready?" Sully asked him softly. Hank was about to answer when they heard a bit muffled but horrifying scream coming from the little cabin. Both men immediately turned to the cabin and looked at it in shock. "Elena…"

TBC

I know, not much tension en excitement in this chapter, but I'll promises you I will make it up in the next one! REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! Please?


	9. Chapter 9

English is not my native language and I'm still looking for a beta reader, so if there are spelling or grammar mistakes… I'm sorry! But you can still apply for the job as my beta reader!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, I do not own the characters of "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman"… One Beth Sullivan does… But I do own the characters Jonas "John" Kerrigan and Elena!

**Rating:** I don't know anything about these ratings, but let's say T or PG-13. Just to be safe...

**Warnings:** I know that in the official Dr. Quinn timeline Hank's Nana is introduced in Season 4, so after Dr. Mike's and Sully's wedding. However, in my story they aren't married yet, but they already do know Ilse. So, in my timeline the events concerning Hank and his Nana in the episode "Woman of the Year" have already happened. So this story is slightly AU… I hope it doesn't bother you…

This story is the sequel to "Past Fears" and "Child of Mine". If you haven't read those stories I suggest you do that first. Otherwise this story won't make a lot of sense… I think…

**Summary: **Hank is trying to pick up his life again, with a little help from Elena. However, there still is a man out there who doesn't want to see Hank happy…

A big thank you to everyone who reads and reviews on this story! You make me such a happy person… :)

Here's a very short, but necessary chapter. I needed to write down some of Elena's thoughts while she's inside the cabin with John.

**Chapter 9**

It was quiet in the cabin. John sat on a chair and looked outside. Night had fallen; it was dark and the only thing he could hear was an owl that sat in a tree somewhere near the cabin. The owl hooted loudly and its sound echoed through the forest. _Must be a bad omen, _John thought and turned away from the window. He looked over at the beautiful woman on the bed. He shook his head. _I must have hit her hard… she's been unconscious for hours._ He hadn't meant to hit her; especially not that hard. But she had made him so angry, that he'd just lost his self-control. He walked over to the bed again and listened carefully. She was still breathing, so it couldn't be that bad. He looked at the big bruise on her cheek. _I did that…_ he thought and touched it gently. "Sorry Elena," he whispered and kissed her gently on the cheek. "I'm sorry I hurt you…"

It took Elena all of her will and strength not to move away from John's touch. She felt him kissing her cheek and deep inside she was screaming as his lips touched her. _Get away from me!_ But she kept lying still, pretending to still be unconscious. He had hit her hard. And she had been unconscious for a while. She had woken up when John was outside the cabin. She had wanted to scream out, hoping someone besides John would hear her, but then she had realized that she was gagged. Of course, she would have been able to make a sound, but she wasn't able to say words anymore. She had felt terrible and completely helpless and defenseless. She had wanted to cry and had nearly hated the fact that she had woken up. Then it had hit her! The only way she could prevent John from hurting her was by pretending to be unconscious. He wouldn't hurt her while she wasn't conscious, would he? Would he? Maybe he would… The man was completely insane; she had figured out that much. And the fact that he had complete control over her had terrified her. Not to mention that he was totally unpredictable. So she had closed her eyes again and lay as still as possible on the bed.

"Elena, Elena," she heard him say, "You have to wake up now, sweetheart! We still have some things to do before the sun rises…" His voice was soft, almost childlike. "Elena…" he almost sounded desperate. He sighed deeply and sat down on the bed. _Why isn't she waking up? I didn't mean to hurt her like that… Please Elena! You can't be that fragile! You just can't… You're strong… You… _ Then realization struck him. He turned to Elena with a big grin on his face. "This is actually great," he said amused. "I can do whatever I want with you right now, and you won't fight me because you're unconscious!" He laughed loudly and sat on his knees beside her. Then he raised his hands and grabbed her breasts. Elena couldn't help but to let out a yelp. Her eyes darted open and she looked straight into John's taunting eyes. "Just like I thought," he said and chuckled. He pulled his hands back and got up from the bed. He crossed his arms and said: "Elena, Elena… You didn't actually think I'd fall for that? Pretending to be unconscious…" He laughed softly and looked at the terrified woman on the bed. She tried to say she was sorry, but the gag prevented the words from coming out right.

John just laughed as he saw the young woman struggle to speak. It aroused him to see this beautiful woman lying on his bed, tied up and completely defenseless. He climbed onto the bed again and lied down next to her. He stroked her body everywhere he could. Elena tried to move away from his touch but couldn't. She let out a sob as he reached her breasts again and massaged them firmly. _Please stop! Please don't do this! Please…_ _Let me go!_ She felt tears burning in her eyes and she knew she would break down sooner or later. "You're so beautiful," John said to her and kissed her cheek. As soon as his lips touched her cheek she instinctively turned her head away. _Don't touch me, please! Get your filthy hands of me! Please, someone help me! God help me!_ She let out another sob and some tears fell from her eyes. John chuckled again and Elena felt some relief washing over her when he moved away from her. But instead of getting up from the bed he just sat on his knees beside her and started to stroke her legs.

"This is it sweetheart," he said to her, the everlasting, evil smile still on his face. "I'm going to make you mine. And there is nothing you or anyone can do about it." He grabbed her legs and spread them forcefully. Elena let out a scream as John positioned himself between her legs. _Please! Please! Stop it! Go away!_ Her mind screamed at him. She had never been this scared in her life. Her heart raced, she was sweating and she couldn't think clearly anymore. She yelled at him, but because of the gag the words were just meaningless sounds to John. "Lets have some fun, sweetheart," he said and then ripped her blouse open. Elena let out a terrifying scream as he did that; it even startled John a bit. He stopped briefly in his movements, but then chuckled evilly. He raised up her skirt and stroked her inner thighs. Finally Elena broke down to tears. She sobbed loudly, almost hysterically, tears streaming down her cheek. She prayed to every God she knew to make John stop, but it seemed that her prayers went unheard. _Please, someone help me! Please God… Make him stop… Hank, oh Hank… I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry…_ She closed her eyes, trying to block John's hands out of her mind. She couldn't help but wish that he would knock her out again… or that he would kill her. She let out another sob and hoped that it would all be over soon…

TBC

Read and review, please!


	10. Chapter 10

English is not my native language and I'm still looking for a beta reader, so if there are spelling or grammar mistakes… I'm sorry! But you can still apply for the job as my beta reader!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, I do not own the characters of "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman"… One Beth Sullivan does… But I do own the characters Jonas "John" Kerrigan and Elena!

**Rating:** I don't know anything about these ratings, but let's say T or PG-13. Just to be safe...

**Warnings:** I know that in the official Dr. Quinn timeline Hank's Nana is introduced in Season 4, so after Dr. Mike's and Sully's wedding. However, in my story they aren't married yet, but they already do know Ilse. So, in my timeline the events concerning Hank and his Nana in the episode "Woman of the Year" have already happened. So this story is slightly AU… I hope it doesn't bother you…

This story is the sequel to "Past Fears" and "Child of Mine". If you haven't read those stories I suggest you do that first. Otherwise this story won't make a lot of sense… I think…

**Summary: **Hank is trying to pick up his life again, with a little help from Elena. However, there still is a man out there who doesn't want to see Hank happy…

A big thank you to those who are still interested in this story! Thanks for reading it and reviewing on it. Here's the next chapter! I know it took a while, but I've got a lot of things on my mind right now… Hope you're all patient…

**Chapter 10**

"Elena!" Hank called when he heard a scream coming from the cabin. A part of him was overjoyed as he recognized the scream to be Elena's. It meant she was still alive. Though, another part of him was overly worried, because she wouldn't be screaming if something awful was going on. He practically ran to the little cabin, nearly stumbling over big branches and stumps. "Hank!" Sully called, his voice a loud whisper. He ran after Hank and grabbed him by the arm when he had caught up with him. "Hank," he whispered, "Ya can't barge in there just like that! Ya don't know what John's doing in there, whether he has weapons or whether this is a trap." "He's hurting Elena!" Hank said. The look on Hank's face worried Sully. It was the look of revenge. But he also saw anger, worry and despair. _I don't know who's more dangerous right now… John or Hank? _Sully thought. "Hank," Sully continued, "It could be a trap… and you're no good to her dead." The look on Hank's face never changed. It was like he had already made up his mind. "Do you understand me?" Sully pulled Hank's arm forcefully and forced the barkeep to meet his eyes. "We'll save her, Hank," Sully said, "but we'll do it my way." After a few seconds Hank nodded. "Fine…" was all he said.

They moved to the cabin slowly and almost soundlessly. The closer they got the more they were able to hear of what was going on inside the cabin. "You'll like this, sweetheart," they heard John say. They were also able to hear Elena's muffled sobs and Hank couldn't help but to move to the window and look inside. What he saw shocked him to the core. Elena, the woman that he loved, was lying on the bed with her hands tied to the bedpost. She was gagged as well. John was between her legs, trying desperately to undo his own pants with one hand and remove her underwear with the other. Hank felt his blood boil. His heart started to beat faster and faster. He clenched his fists and jaws as he felt anger building up inside of him quickly. He had never felt this much rage in his life. So many different feelings all at the same time… He was losing control…

Hank forgot about Sully's wise words and ran to the door of the cabin. He opened the door and got to the bed in no time. With great force he grabbed John by the collar and dragged him from the bed. "What the…" John said. He was completely startled as he was thrown into a corner and looked directly in the barrel of Hank's gun. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't blow yer head off right now…" Hank's voice was low and dangerous. John's mind was still catching up on what just happened. He looked confusingly at the man in front of him. _Hans!_ John thought, as he finally realized what was going on. _I can't believe it! He found me! Damn it… Found me BEFORE I could have my way with Elena. _He looked Hank in the eye and what he saw there frightened him a bit. Hank's eyes shot daggers at him. But there was more… the look in Hank's eyes was the look of a madman… of a man who was out of control… of a man who wanted revenge more than anything.

"Hans," John said with a smile, "You're not going to hurt me are you? I mean… I haven't done anything this time!" He pointed at Elena. "See, she's still alive! You're not going to kill a man who hasn't done anything?" He gave Hank his most innocent look. Hank couldn't help but laugh, but it wasn't a happy laugh. It was a laugh out of bitterness, grief and hate. "Haven't done anything?" Hank spoke in such a dangerous and venomous way, it even scared Sully. As soon as they had entered the cabin Sully had rushed to Elena's side and had untied her and had undone her gag. As he was making sure Elena was alright he watched the exchange between Hank and John carefully.

"You haven't done anything?" Hank said in a gruff voice. "You killed my son! You left your own children to die! You were about to rape and kill the woman that I love! Don't you dare say you haven't done anything…" While he spoke he moved closer to John. He kneeled down beside the man who was sitting in a corner on the ground and put the gun against John's head. "If there's anyone in this world who deserves to die by my hand it's you…" John closed his eyes as he knew his life was about to end. "Hank, don't," Elena said softly from the bed. "Don't do this… he's not worth it…" She wanted to get up from the bed, but her body was still trembling from shock so she lay back down again. "Please," she said and choked back a sob.

Hank looked up and watched Elena carefully. It broke his heart to see her like this. She was always so cheerful, smiley and full of life. Now she looked broken and sad. "He deserves it!" he said and focused on John again. "No Hank!" Sully interfered, "Hank, let the authorities handle this! He will get what he deserves! Don't take justice into your own hands, Hank. It won't make ya feel any better. Ya really want to give up your own life to end his? It's not worth it! HE is not worth it!" Hank lowered his head. Deep inside he knew Sully was right. But he just HAD to do this. He had to avenge his son's death. He had to stop all the suffering John had caused and would be causing in the future. _It will only end when he's dead…_ "Hank," Elena tried again, "I need you… Please!" she started to cry again.

Hank looked John in the eyes, looking for some humanity in them. He didn't find any. _They're right… he's not worth it… _He closed his eyes for a moment and then turned to Elena. "I'm sorry," he whispered and lowered his gun. He was about to walk towards the woman that he loved when John launched himself at Hank. As Hank had dropped his guard, John had seen the perfect chance to attack Hank. Hank fell to the ground as John threw himself against Hank with great force. Hank lost his gun in the process, which fell to the ground. John seemed out of control. He hit Hank everywhere he could. "You have it all, Hans! You always had to have it all!" John screamed at him. Hank tried to look for his gun, but couldn't find it. "You ALWAYS wanted to have what should belong to ME! ALWAYS!"

Sully watched as John threw himself at Hank. He grabbed for his tomahawk but was shocked when he couldn't find it. _No… don't tell me I lost it! _Sully thought back to the few times he had stumbled and n fallen over a few stumps in the woods while they were searching for John and Elena. _Damn it! Of all the times I could have lost it, I just HAD to lose it today! _Sully cursed under his breath. He couldn't count on Wolf either because he had told him to wait for him a few miles back. _Well, no time to dwell on it, _he thought and ran over to Hank to help him. He tried to push John of him, but John was too strong… too much out of control. Meanwhile Elena watched helplessly as her attacker was now attacking Hank. Hank tried to avoid the blows as much as he could, but most of the time it was of no avail. Hank felt pain ripping through his body as John hit him and kicked him; and screamed at him like a madman.

Sully looked around the room, searching for something he could strike John with. He found a small wooden chair. It was light, but the wood should be strong enough to give John quite a headache. Sully grabbed the chair and walked back to the two men fighting. John was about to kick Hank again when Sully struck John with the chair. The chair broke into pieces as it forcefully landed on John's head. John dropped to the floor unconscious. "Ya alright?" Sully asked Hank. The barkeep nodded, though his body ached everywhere. He got up from the floor and looked over at John's body. Again he felt anger building up inside of him. There was so much hate floating through his veins. He walked towards John and kicked him in the side as hard as he could. _God, that feels good!_ He thought and kicked him again. And again… Harder and harder… He felt tension, hate and anger leaving his body as he repeatedly kicked the man he hated so much. He could do this all night! Then he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Hank…" Sully said softly, "Don't… He's out… Elena needs you…" Hank didn't move. He sighed deeply and he suddenly felt dead tired. He turned away from John's body and looked over at the bed. Elena was looking at him pleadingly. Hank looked down for a moment and then walked towards her. He sat down on the bed beside her and gently took her in his arms. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "Oh Hank!" Elena said with a sob. She held on to him tightly. She buried her face in his chest and let her tears stream down her face.

Sully watched the couple carefully and smiled. He was so glad they had found Elena in time. Not just for her sake, but for Hank's as well. Hank had scared him a couple of minutes ago. The complete madness in his eyes… the rage, the hate… he had never seen Hank like that. And because of all these feelings Hank had almost killed John. Sully could only imagine what Hank would have done if John had succeeded in raping and killing Elena. He was glad that he'd probably never find out. He sighed, hating that he had to spoil the moment the two lovers were sharing. He coughed softly, hoping to get their attention. "Sorry, Hank… Elena," he said softly, "We have to go… people in town are worried." Hank had to chuckle. "Yeah, yer probably right…" he said and looked into Elena's eyes. For the first time that day she smiled at him and it was a genuine, almost happy smile. He couldn't help but to smile back at her. They both got up from the bed. They were about to turn around to face Sully when a gunshot rang out behind them…

TBC

Well, what do you all think? Hit the blue button below to review, please:-) Thank you…


	11. Chapter 11

English is not my native language and I'm still looking for a beta reader, so if there are spelling or grammar mistakes… I'm sorry! But you can still apply for the job as my beta reader!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, I do not own the characters of "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman"… One Beth Sullivan does… But I do own the characters Jonas "John" Kerrigan and Elena!

**Rating:** I don't know anything about these ratings, but let's say T or PG-13. Just to be safe...

**Warnings:** I know that in the official Dr. Quinn timeline Hank's Nana is introduced in Season 4, so after Dr. Mike's and Sully's wedding. However, in my story they aren't married yet, but they already do know Ilse. So, in my timeline the events concerning Hank and his Nana in the episode "Woman of the Year" have already happened. So this story is slightly AU… I hope it doesn't bother you…

This story is the sequel to "Past Fears" and "Child of Mine". If you haven't read those stories I suggest you do that first. Otherwise this story won't make a lot of sense… I think…

**Summary: **Hank is trying to pick up his life again, with a little help from Elena. However, there still is a man out there who doesn't want to see Hank happy…

**Another Warning:** I added a small paragraph in Chapter 10! I had been so busy focusing on Hank and John, that I forgot about Sully having weapons too… Well, a tomahawk anyway… So, a little paragraph about the tomahawk… :-) The 8th paragraph to be exact… Sorry for my incompetence…

**Chapter 11**

John lay on the ground. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be unconscious. At least to the outside world he did… He had been unconscious for a minute or two. The blow to his head had been forceful and painful, which had caused him to black out for a moment. He hadn't even realized that Hank had kicked him with great force a few times. Until he woke up… His body ached everywhere and he was pretty sure he had broken or at least cracked some ribs. Well, at least he was still alive! But why? John was confused. _Why hadn't Hank pulled the trigger? _Why hadn't he killed him? He thought he knew Hank well enough to be out for revenge after what John had done to him and his son. And to Elena… But he had been wrong about Hank before, hadn't he? He thought Hank would end his own life after Zack's death, but he hadn't. Instead, he had picked up his life again. He had moved on… Could Hank have changed? Could it be that Elena had such an influence on him that Hank had changed? _But the rage… the madness in his eyes… he was going to kill me! Why didn't he?_ John just couldn't figure it out.

He opened his eyes for a moment and saw Hank sitting on the bed with Elena in his arms. As well as Hank as the Sully-guy were with their backs to John. John had to smile as he smelled his chance again. He looked around the room. He knew Hank had dropped his gun when he had attacked him, so it should be lying around somewhere. _There!_ John saw the gun lying under the table against the wall. It was just a few feet away from him. He moved to the table slowly and silently, and then picked the gun up from the floor. Slowly he got up from the ground as well. _You should have killed me, Hans! You should have killed me when you had the chance! Because now I will kill YOU… You will never interfere with my plans again… with my life… You will never take what's mine anymore… Never! _His eyes shot daggers at the man in front of him. He raised the gun and aimed it at the man he had hated for almost 20 years…

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Jake couldn't believe his luck! After traveling through the woods for hours he had finally reached a small cabin. He had already been overjoyed when he found Wolf a few miles back, and Sully's tomahawk a mile before that. He was on the right track! He had left his horse and had decided to continue his search on foot. And now he had found a cabin. The lights were on and from what he could hear it sounded like a fight was going on. He walked towards the cabin. During his trip he hadn't been able to shake off the feeling that something bad was going to happen. That his help was needed. He had though back about his promise as well. The promise he had made to himself after Zack was killed. _I will make sure that John Kerrigan will never hurt Hank again…_

Suddenly he heard a loud crash and the sounds of people fighting stopped. _What had happened? Who had hurt who?_ He wanted to increase his pace, but decided not to. Instead, he decided to walk a bit more slowly. _What if John had won the fight? I could be next!_ He tried to get to the cabin as silently as he could. He didn't want to give himself away. When he finally reached the cabin he moved to the window. Carefully, he decided to take a look through it. He saw Sully standing in the middle of the room. Hank was sitting on the bed, Elena crying against his chest. _Where was John?_ Suddenly he saw the man in question getting up from the floor. The next few seconds seemed to go in slow motion to Jake. He saw John standing nearly behind Sully. The man raised his right arm and to Jake's horror the man pointed a gun at Hank. Jake acted on pure instinct. He ran to the cabin door, smashed it open and pulled his own gun. He pointed it at John Kerrigan and pulled the trigger…

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Hank spun around the moment he heard the gunshot. The first thing that came to his mind was that John had found his gun and that he was going to kill them all. He pushed Elena against the back wall, and stood in front of her protectively. He saw John standing in front of him with his gun in his hand. He quickly looked over to Sully, who was watching John carefully as well. Then Hank looked around. If John had taken a shot at him, then why was he still standing? Why wasn't he bleeding? Elena seemed okay and so did Sully. Then why had John missed? John would never have missed! Then he noticed the odd look on John's face. His eyes were wide; there was a strange kind of look in them. A strange look of surprisement maybe? Slowly John lowered the gun. He dropped it and looked down at his stomach. That's when Hank noticed it: blood! John opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Instead, he let out a chuckle and then dropped to the floor, revealing Jake in the doorway.

"Jake!" Hank called out, "What are ya doing here?" Jake lowered his own gun and said: "Saving your life apparently…" Sully kneeled beside John's body and searched for a pulse and breathing. "He's dead," Sully stated and looked over at Hank. He saw relief washing over Hank's face. Tension seemed to drain from his body and again he felt dead tired. He lowered himself to the ground and leaned against the back wall. He choked back a sob as Elena sat down beside him and held his head into her hands. "It's over now, Hank," she whispered, "He can't hurt you anymore… He can't hurt US anymore…" She stroked his hair and kissed him on the head.

Jake was still a bit in shock. He couldn't believe what had just happened… what he just did… He had killed a man! "Ya did good Jake," Sully said to him softly. Jake just nodded. "It was self-defence," Sully said and put a hand on his shoulder. "If ya hadn't pulled that trigger, one of us would have been dead now." Again Jake nodded. "Yeah," he said, his voice hoarse. He looked down at John's body. _I killed him… I killed John Kerrigan… Hank's stepfather… Zack's murderer! Looks like I kept my promise, Hank…_

Jake looked up as he felt a hand on his shoulder again. He looked into Hank's blue eyes. "Let's go home," Hank said to him. "Yeah, let's go home…" Jake said, more to himself than to Hank. "Jake," Hank said softly, "I owe you my life… We all owe you our lives… Thanks…" "Anytime," Jake answered as Hank gave him a quick nod. The two men shook hands and then decided to leave the cabin.

"What do we do about the body?" Jake asked Sully. "I don't know," Sully replied, "We could pick it up tomorrow… burry it somewhere… I don't know… I'm really not in the mood to think about it right now…" Jake sighed. "We'll pick it up tomorrow," he stated, "I'll wire some people about what happened… the authorities… maybe they want to have it or something… Make sure he's really dead…" Sully had to chuckle. "Yeah, right… trust me… he's dead…" They were both silent for a moment. "Sully?" Jake said, "I found this in the woods." He showed him Sully's tomahawk. Sully looked a bit surprised. He hadn't thought he would find it again. "Thanks," he said to Jake. "Yer welcome," Jake answered, "Couldn't choose a worse moment to lose it, could you?" Sully smiled and then shook his head. _Tell me about it…_

Elena walked arm in arm with Hank. She felt safe with him. She shivered when she thought about what could have happen in that cabin. What John could have done to her and to Hank. She was still a bit shaky and it would probably take a while for her to pick up her life again. Her life with Hank… But at least they had a future; a future without John Kerrigan…

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_How could this happen? Why? _John looked down at his stomach and saw blood pouring out of it. _This is not supposed to happen! _He looked Hank in the eyes. _It was supposed to be you! You Hans! You…_ He opened his mouth to speak, but he wasn't able to say anything. _Who? Who shot me?_ He looked around the room. Nor Hank, nor Sully, nor Elena had a gun. _Who?_ He couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of it all. He was about to turn around to see who had shot him when his world went black for one last time…

TBC

R&R Please…


	12. Chapter 12

English is not my native language and I'm still looking for a beta reader, so if there are spelling or grammar mistakes… I'm sorry! But you can still apply for the job as my beta reader!

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, I do not own the characters of "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman"… One Beth Sullivan does… But I do own the characters Jonas "John" Kerrigan and Elena!

**Rating:** I don't know anything about these ratings, but let's say T or PG-13. Just to be safe...

**Warnings:** I know that in the official Dr. Quinn timeline Hank's Nana is introduced in Season 4, so after Dr. Mike's and Sully's wedding. However, in my story they aren't married yet, but they already do know Ilse. So, in my timeline the events concerning Hank and his Nana in the episode "Woman of the Year" have already happened. So this story is slightly AU… I hope it doesn't bother you…

This story is the sequel to "Past Fears" and "Child of Mine". If you haven't read those stories I suggest you do that first. Otherwise this story won't make a lot of sense… I think…

**Summary: **Hank is trying to pick up his life again, with a little help from Elena. However, there still is a man out there who doesn't want to see Hank happy…

**Chapter 12**

A couple of days had passed since that fatal day in the woods. John's body had been picked up by some men from Denver. They said they worked for the government, but nobody had really cared. Everyone had been glad that John Kerrigan was finally out of their lives.

Elena looked outside the window of her room. The sun was shining and it looked like it was going to be a hot day. Usually she would have been overjoyed. She loved days like that, but at this moment she didn't really care about it. She was still a bit shaken up about what had happened to her. She thought about it almost every minute of the day. At night in her sleep, the images came back to hunt her. Would she ever be able to forget this? Probably not… Would she ever be the same person as she was before? Would she ever be able to work in the saloon again? She sighed. _Will I ever be able to be with a man again? _Since they had gotten home, Elena had tried to avoid Hank's touch as much as she could. She couldn't help it, but she just hated to be touched. Especially by a man… even by the man who loved her. _Just give me some time, Hank…_

Suddenly the door opened. It startled Elena, even though she knew that it couldn't be John. It was Hank. "Hey," he said softly. "Hey," she whispered back. She wasn't really in the mood for a conversation, but she knew she couldn't avoid Hank for the rest of her life. "Are ya okay?" he asked her. She sighed. "I… I don't know," she said and gave him a sad look. "I keep thinking about what happened… about what could have happened… and when I try not to think about it, I end up thinking about it anyway… And I'm having nightmares…" Hank nodded. 'I know," he said softly, "I hear you scream sometimes…" Elena looked away in embarrassment. "Elena," he said," Ya have nothin' to be ashamed about… It's… I understand." She looked at him and he saw a tear falling down her cheek. Hank raised his hand slowly and wiped the tear away with his thumb. It took all of Elena's strength not to pull away. "I love ya, you know," he suddenly said and smiled at her. "Wha... What?" Elena was dumbfounded. Did Hank just say that he loved her? "I love ya," he said to her again. Elena didn't know whether to laugh or to cry, so she did both. She laughed at him through her tears and let him take her into his embrace. "I love you too," she whispered in his ear.

They stood like that for a few minutes. To her own surprise Elena felt very comfortable in Hank's embrace. She wished she could stay like this forever. However, she pulled back. "Hank," she said, "I have to ask you something…" Hank looked at her questioningly. "Yer not going to ask me to marry ya, are ya," he asked, "cause I'm still not sure if I'm ready for that…" Elena had to laugh at that. "No, I'm not," she said with a smile, "I'm not sure I'm ready for that either… It's something else…" Hank nodded. "Okay… shoot!" he said. "It's about the other day… in the cabin," she started, "You were about to kill John… I saw it in your eyes… you WERE… but somehow you didn't… And don't tell me it was because of what I said to you… or Sully… because I know it wasn't… What stopped you?"

She saw Hank's facial expression change. His face was dead serious now, and he turned away from her. He was quiet for a while, though he didn't walk away from her. She could see that he was thinking of a way to tell her. "Yer right," he said suddenly. "I was going to kill him… I really wanted to… I wanted him to pay for what he did to Zack and to you… I wanted to tear him apart with my bear hands. Million different ways of how to kill a man flashed through my mind… I wanted to stab him, scalp him, cut him into a billion different pieces, drown him, blow his head off…" Elena listened to him carefully. She had seen the rage in his eyes; the anger, the madness. She had been certain Hank would rip John into pieces. A part of her even wanted him to do it. "But you didn't…" she said, "Why?" Hank turned around to face her again. "I would have done it if it wasn't for a promise I made…" "What promise?" Elena asked. She was curious now. "A promise I made Zack the day before he died," Hank spoke softly. He looked down at the floor for a moment before continuing his tale. "He woke me in the middle of the night… he had a nightmare…"

"_Pa?" Zack stood beside the couch his father was sleeping on. He gently touched his father's shoulder, hoping he would wake up. "Pa!" he said, a bit louder now. He looked over at Sully, who was sleeping on the floor, hoping he hadn't woke him. "Zack?" Hank whispered as he rubbed his eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked his son. "N…Nightmare…" he said softly. Hank nodded. "Wanna talk 'bout it?" Zack nodded in response. "I…It was a…about that man y…you made me d…draw," he told his father. "I…is he really s…such a b…bad man?" Hank sighed. He wondered what he should tell his son about John Kerrigan. Should he lie? No, enough lies. He's old enough to handle the truth, Hank decided. "Yeah, he's a very bad man, Zack," he answered, "He's a murderer." Zach nodded as the words sank in. "D…does he w…want to kill y…you?" Hank pulled himself up into a sitting position and pulled Zack beside him on the couch. "I don't know…" Hank answered, "Maybe eventually… but right now he first wants to hurt the people that I love…" Zack looked at his father and saw that he was worried. "Y…you think h…he'd k...kill me?" Hank sighed again and nodded. "He'd better not," Hank said, more to himself than to his son. "He wouldn't live to tell…" "No!" Zack exclaimed and grabbed his father's arm. Hank looked a bit startled at his son's reaction. "What?" Hank said, not understanding what his son meant. "P…promise me y…you won't…" Zack started, "Promise me y…you w…won't kill h…him… No m…matter what h…he does…" Hank looked at his son in amazement. "Ya actually believe that if he hurts you that I will let him get away with it?" Zack shook his head. "Y…you kill him and y…you'll be j…just l…like him! P…promise me y…you won't t…turn into the k…killer that he is! O…otherwise he'll w…win… P…People like that a…aren't worth t…the t…trouble," Hank shook his head as he listened to his son's words. "I don't think I can promise that, boy," he said in a gruff voice. "I…I don't w…want to be the s…son of a m…murderer…" Zack whispered and looked at his father pleadingly. Hank sighed. This obviously meant a lot to his son. And Zack's last few words actually hurt Hank. 'I don't want to be the son of a murderer…' And I don't want you to see me as a murderer, Hank thought. "Alright, I promise…" he said eventually and shook his son's hand. Zack smiled and hugged his father. He leaned against Hank's chest and soon fell asleep. Hank followed a few minutes later…_

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Hank sat in front of his saloon with a cup of coffee when he saw his Nana walking towards him. "Nana!" he called. "What are ya doin' here? Aren't ya supposed to be in bed?" Ilse smiled at him. "No," she answered, "Dr. Mike said that it was alright for me to leave the clinic! But I do have to take my meds more regularly…" Hank nodded at her. "Ya better!" he said to her. The day after they had gotten home his Nana had told him about her heart condition. She had told him how serious it really was and that she hadn't listened to the advice the specialist had given her. Hank had been furious with her first, but after he had thought about it he could actually understand why she had acted the way she had.

Meanwhile Elena walked outside the saloon. "Ilse!" she called out to the old lady. "How are you doing?" She gave the old lady a hug. "Michaela let her go," Hank answered for his grandma. "She did?" Elena said, "That's wonderful!" Ilse nodded her head, smiling broadly at the two in front of her. "Well," she said, "I'm going to get my stuff at the hotel." Hank stood up from his chair. "What?" he said a bit worried, "Yer not leaving are ya?" He wasn't ready for her to leave yet. After all the things that had happened he actually needed her around for a while. Ilse laughed at him. "Oh no! I'm not leaving!" she said to her grandson. "On the contrary… I've decided to stay here." Hank looked at her questioningly. "Stay?" he asked. Now he was confused. "Oh Hans," she said, "I had a lot of time to think while I had to stay in the clinic. I know that I don't have that long to live anymore… And I thought about how I wanted to spend the rest of my life… And I realized that I wanted to spend it with the people who are dearest to me… And those people don't live in Norway… They live right here in Colorado Springs." Hank felt overjoyed as he realized what his grandma was saying to him. "You're STAYING here?" he asked her, just to be sure. Ilse nodded happily. "Miss Grace said she and Robert E. have a spare room left," she told him, "I'm allowed to live there!" Hank smiled at her. "That's real nice Nana," he said and hugged her. "Oh, I'm so happy!" she said, "No I can visit you every day! Oh, and I don't have to travel that far when you're getting married!" For the second time that day Hank was dumbfounded. _Married? _He looked at Elena who was trying really hard not to laugh. She winked at him and then walked back into the saloon. Once inside she burst into laughter…

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_Dear Diary,_

_It's been a few days since I last wrote something. I wasn't feeling up to it really… But today is the first time I actually believe that everything is going to be fine. That I will be fine… I was even able to laugh again today! Hank's Nana actually believes Hank and I are getting married! I couldn't help but to burst into laughter. Well, maybe we are getting married… one day… but not anytime soon, I think. And I don't mind actually. I first want to have my life back to normal… I want to be back to normal… I miss me… the old me… But I know she's in there somewhere! _

_And I still want to get to know Hank a little better. He's still a mystery to me. Well, sometimes anyway… Every time when I finally think I know what makes him tick, he completely surprises me again. There are so many things I still don't know about him… He's like a piece of land, waiting to be discovered. And I will be the discoverer…_

_Yes, I'm pretty sure we will be fine…_

_Yours,_

_Elena_

The End

Well, this was it! The trilogy has come to an end. I hope you all liked it and I hope there are still some reviews coming my way. Though, this is my last story… for now anyway… I'm really questioning myself at the moment, not just my writing, but actually everything that I do… I just don't seem to be good at anything… And if I look back at the amount of readers I had during my first story, and how few there are left at the end of the third story, I seriously doubt whether I'm good enough at this… Sorry… I really want to thank everyone who did read this story! And an even bigger thank you to those who've read all three of them! And thank you to those who reviewed!

But right now I first have to deal with myself and the bad things that happen in my life…


End file.
